Leap Year Spring Equinox

March 19 2024 - early spring, early bloom, early rust

First day of spring. From CBS: 

Tuesday, March 19 at 11:06 p.m. EDT marked the vernal equinox for the Northern Hemisphere, when the sun was directly over the equator and its energy was in balance between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.... Most years, the season typically changes on March 20th or 21st.

This has been a year of early spring in many senses - very warm temps, early blooming of trees, early leafing of bushes.

Today on my ride to work I noticed that the cold has created an early whithering of magnolias.